Police ID man held in Northern State chase

Police Thursday identified a driver who led police on a wild pursuit on Nassau highways and injured a Nassau County officer.

Gregory M. Schwert, 24, of 38 Acorn Dr., East Northport, faces charges in the pursuit, which he led from Hicksville to Syosset and damaged 10 cars, including the injured officer's cruiser, Nassau police said.

Police said that about 11 a.m. Wednesday, Schwert was in Hicksville driving a black 2002 Nissan Altima that he had stolen in Northport. He hit a car on eastbound Old Country Road, then drove east to the Wantagh Parkway, where he headed north, police said.

He got off the highway onto the eastbound Northern State Parkway, but he became frustrated with midday bumper-to-bumper traffic and started forcing motorists off the road - even ramming their cars in an attempt to get through, police said. Schwert hit another five cars on that road, police said.

A Nassau Highway Patrol officer saw Schwert pass a car on the left and crash into the center median. As the officer approached the car on foot, Schwert threw his car into reverse, and the officer leaped out of the way. Schwert then hit the officer's car. The officer, who was not identified, suffered "minor scrapes and bruises," police said.

Schwert continued east on the Northern State, where he struck three more vehicles, police said. He stopped and tried to run away, but was arrested by a state police trooper a short time later in Syosset near Exit 36, the South Oyster Bay Road exit.

Schwert was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. He was scheduled for arraignment Thursday in First District Court in Hempstead.

Schwert has been charged with one count of second-degree assault, seven counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, three counts of criminal possession of stolen property, two counts of criminal mischief, seven counts of possession of a hypodermic instrument, two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury, one count of leaving the scene of an accident and one count of driving while ability impaired by drugs.

Homicide detectives have been assigned to the investigation, though the reason for their involvement was not immediately clear Thursday.